Police suspect foul play in disappearance of Fontana man

FONTANA -- Police believe a man who was leaving for work may have been assaulted and kidnapped in the driveway of his home early Friday morning.

Officers investigated a report of a man screaming in distress at 5 a.m. in the 6800 block of Beechcraft Avenue.

After patrolling the area, officers found what they believe to be a crime scene, said police Sgt. Tom Yarrington.

"There were serious signs of a struggle in front of the home of Alejandro Padilla," Yarrington said.

Further investigation revealed that Padilla may have been assaulted and possibly kidnapped, he said.

"There is nothing in Mr. Padilla's life that would indicate he was involved in anything suspicious," Yarrington added.

Police said during the attack the alleged kidnappers may have stolen Padilla's car, a black 2009 Nissan Versa with California license plate 6GZF702.

This attack is the second similar type of attack reported in the Inland Empire in the last two weeks.

After enjoying a day of kayaking and then attending a Dodgers game, Joseph Garcia, 23 of Ontario, could never have imagined he was about to endure a nightmare on July 13.

"Two men approached Mr. Garcia in front of his home and at gunpoint they kidnapped him," said police spokesman Sgt. David McBride. "They drove him just south of Tijuana, Mexico and held him captive in a motel room with a bag over his head."

Authorities said he was eventually released by his abductors in Mexico, but his ordeal seemed like something out of a movie plot.

On July 13 Garcia had enjoyed his day of kayaking and baseball before performing at a Lakewood nightclub with his Norte?os band, Los Nuevos Elegantes.

Police say he headed home after his performance, stopping off for some fast-food. He let his family know he'd be home around 1:30 a.m. when the kidnapping happened in front of his Ontario home.

Family members awoke the next morning to find Garcia's car in the driveway with the keys still in the ignition and a bag of fast food on the passenger seat. Then they called police.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Tom Yarrington at 909-350-7700.